


houses made of glass

by enmity



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of Xillia
Genre: E.S.S Zenethra, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 00:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16336169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enmity/pseuds/enmity
Summary: You stink of sweat. Sweat and compromised masculinity.





	houses made of glass

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written in a while so i might be rusty. my biggest regret is not making agria outright call ivar a cuck , but i hope the spirit of it got through

Agria squatted purposefully beside Ivar just as he was finishing up the last of his push-ups, and upon noticing her presence from the corner of his eye he decided it was prudent to add another two dozen for good measure. Agria narrowed her eyes and made a face, which Ivar ignored, because 1) he was very good at ignoring things, and 2) Milla—pardon the lack of honorific—wouldn’t have wanted him to break concentration over something so trivial. That role was exclusively reserved for Ju—The Phony, who just wouldn’t _quit_ hanging off her arm and _talking_ to her and existing, like some kind of—who does he even think he is—

Ivar took a deep breath, and regretted not being able to afford fitting a further two hours of meditation into his schedule.

A few good minutes passed before Agria spoke up from his left, drawling every syllable with careful precision, “You stink of sweat. Sweat and compromised masculinity. Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Ivar blinked, and slid upright in time to reply, “Funny you should ask, because—” And then it struck him that he didn’t. The grin felt stiff on his face.

“Your sad little puppy crush? It bores me.” She made a sound between a choke and a barf, but slapped her knee as though she’d meant to laugh. He could almost be impressed at her uncanny ability to multitask.

“ _Funny you should ask,_ ” he said quickly, “because all I’m doing is making sure I’m in top form for the upcoming battle against Exodus. You know, the people who’ve been trying to kill Lady Milla since before I was even born? So it’s, well. Kind of a big deal.” He flexed to show his point.

Agria seemed resolutely unimpressed. She started to pick her nose, “Sure that’s just not your manly pride talking, trying to make up for Jude stealing your girl?”

“I appreciate your curiosity, Agria, but I spoke with said manly pride and it affirmed that my intentions are wholly and nobly pure, as they have of course always been, nothing more or less.” His resolute gaze met her unconvinced eyes, and this time he could feel the sparkle radiating from the smile he bared at her. “I simply cannot allow The Phony to get in my way! Which reminds me, I expect your cooperation in the missions to come. I’m sure we’d make a swell team.”

Agria proceeded to swat the friendly hand he outstretched to her.

She made That Face again— the one that always prompted him to wonder if he should get her a laxative to make her spit back out the bug she’d seemed to have swallowed. She made it often enough in all of the several hours of him knowing her that he wondered then if it was just a saying or if Agria really did swallow insects as a hobby.

Then something seemed to overcome her. She wobbled up to her feet, “I figured you were stupid, but you really don’t understand what I’m getting at, do you?”

“One must cleanse the mind of unnecessary thoughts to become worthy of the title of handmaid,” Ivar said simply, with proper aplomb, as her eyes widened. “Now shush! You’ve interrupted my training for long enough.”

Agria twitched. She looked positively homicidal.

It was only Gaius’ timely intervention that stopped Ivar from being violently thrown overboard the Zenethra.


End file.
